For Immediate Release s377

September 15, 2015 For Immediate Release Contact: Myken Pullins, Public Relations Coordinator Email: [email protected] Phone: 614-225-0980

Tell You A Story

Artwork by Mary Barczak

COLUMBUS, OHIO (43215) - Fresh A.I.R. Gallery invites you to the exhibition Tell You A Story, constructed photographic scenes of fairytales and fables by Mary Barczak. Join us for the opening reception Wednesday, September 23 from 5:30 – 7:00 pm. The exhibition will run until November 20, 2015.

Barczak explains this body of work addresses the complexities of real life and the fantasies that so many of us are familiar with. Fairytales are for children, or so we tell ourselves, but the stories themselves become part of the adult psyche. Flaws create the stories, and beloved characters from your favorite books are built up on the backs of lesser characters that are the ones able to have their flaw and act upon them. Alice just came to the tea party, she didn’t throw it. If she did things would probably be a lot more subdued. To visually show these concepts I utilize blindfolds for characters with less traits, the characters that folks can see themselves being. For the flawed, I create masks out of construction paper, another childlike material that is fairly fleeting. This lends itself to the illustrative quality of the storybooks of yore. Fresh A.I.R. Gallery met a milestone in 2014 by celebrating 10 years as a self-sustaining nonprofit art gallery with a mission to exhibit the works of individuals affected by mental illness and/or substance use disorders.

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P. 2 Tell You A Story Our mission is through art, we educate the community and work to break down the stigma of mental illness and/or substance use disorders by bringing focus to the artistic vision. Since opening our gallery doors in September 2004, Fresh A.I.R. Gallery has shown 60 exhibitions, displaying the artwork of over 200 artists and sold more than 250 pieces of artwork totaling over $60,000. Fresh A.I.R. Gallery does not accept any commission for art sold through the gallery. All proceeds from sold work go directly to the artists to help them establish their careers. Many exhibits demonstrate the courage and struggles of the artists as they combat stigma and address social issues.

In 2014 Vital Companies produced a video about Fresh A.I.R. Gallery: http://youtu.be/Vcn-SnOmYHk

Fresh A.I.R. Gallery is a project of Southeast Healthcare Services, a comprehensive provider of mental health, chemical dependency, physical healthcare and homeless services that has been serving Columbus since 1978 and six surrounding counties. Fresh A.I.R. Gallery is located downtown at 131 N. High Street Columbus, Ohio. Our hours are Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 5:30 pm. Fresh A.I.R. Gallery’s hotline is 614-744-8110. Visit our website at www.southeastinc.com.